College grads caught with 91 LSDs get 12 years in prison

CHENNAI: Two college graduates – one who was about to venture into the diamond business after his training at an institute in Surat, the diamond trading hub of India, and another who was already facing trial in a ganja seizure case – were sentenced to 12 years in prison, after a special court in Chennai found them guilty for possession of 1.83 gm of psychedelic drug, LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), colloquially referred to as Acid.

Mehul Bafna of Sowcarpet and Aqeel Ahamed of Saligramam, both aged 26 years, were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2020 and have been under judicial custody.

Recently, when the court held them guilty, their stay in prison was extended. Both were graduates from different city-based colleges, and had met through common friends.

According to the prosecution’s case, NCB officials received a tip-off about the movement of LSD stamps on Ormes Road, Kilpauk, after which a team was keeping vigil. Aqeel arrived in a motorbike, handed over a plastic cover to Mehul and left the place. NCB sleuths, lying in wait, caught Mehul with 91 LSD stamps and arrested him on March 16, 2020.

Four months later, amid the COVID-19 lockdown, officials tracked Aqeel and arrested him on July 30. Investigations revealed that he had been arrested by the Tiruverkadu police in November 2019 for possession of 4 kg of ganja.

After he got out on bail, he began dealing again, but this time had come under the radar of the central agency.

NCB submitted the case with both suspects as co-conspirators, but the duo had different stories to narrate before the investigators and in their deposition before court.

Mehul did not deny using drugs, and admitted that he had been under the influence of some “bad circle of friends” who had introduced him to drug-use. “I came from Surat 10 days ago, after completing my course. Hence I wasn’t in contact with my friends in Chennai at present. He (Aqeel) had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from me for his personal use, which he hadn’t repaid till now. Instead of repaying this loan, he gave me LSD to clear off his debts in full. I was waiting at Ormes Road, Kilpauk, upon his request,” Mehul had told the investigators in 2020.

Aqeel, on the other hand, turned the tables onto his former mate and told investigators he first used ganja in 2016 through Mehul. He also said that since he used to buy imported ganja from Mehul (Rs 2,500 per gram), he had gone to the location in Kilpauk to buy the weed from him. He categorically denied dealing or distributing the LSD seized from him.

After perusing the submissions from all sides, Principal Special Judge C Thirumagal, Special Court, said, “The prosecution has proven through documents that there was a criminal conspiracy between both the accused in the possession of LSD stamps under EC and NDPS Act.” She held them guilty under many sections of NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act.

Apart from sentencing them for 12 years rigorous imprisonment, the special court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.7 lakh on them.